$999 -- Mediterranean 12-Night Cruise This SpringSave $500 on one of Carnival's newest shipsMay 22; June 15; +$100 June 27; July 9, 21Get a nice bonus by booking any upgraded cabin using your American Express Card.

Regular rates range from $295 to $495 per night, so this is a good deal if you want a nice dinner or spa treatment. I checked a few weekends and the cheapest Fri-Sun stay (off-season) that I found was $598/stay. The standard rate for the same stay is $638, so if you use the $100 credit you're basically getting that for free, plus a little bit of a discount.

US$1299 -- Burgundy & Provence 7-Night Cruise, Save $1200This US$1299 price is offered for the best available cabin at the time of booking. All meals are included onboard the cruise. You also get guided walking or motorcoach tours, including wine tasting in Beaune (the wine capital of Burgundy) and a visit to the historic Papal Palace in Avignon, the City of the Popes.Travel dates: March 23, book by March 5

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

$449 -- 13 day Trans-Atlantic, Galveston to BarcelonaAwesome rate - can you live on $35/day at home? My rent works out to $25/day, which leaves only $10 for food and entertainment. So, I could be on a cruise ship instead and actually save money! (Well, I still have to pay rent, but you know what I mean)Cruise departs April 27 on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas, which is big and shouldn't be boring on all those sea days.

Rates are coming back down on Alaska cruises as companies try to sell their remaining cabins.

$449 -- 7 day Inside Passage cruise on Holland America's RyndamRoundtrip Vancouver, departing May 14This rate was sent out in the newsletter and can't be displayed on the internet, so you have to call to get this rate.

$499 -- 7 day Alaska cruise on Royal Caribbean, residents' rateFor a more family-friendly cruise, try Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas on 1-way Alaska cruises. Rate includes the $100 discount for BC residents.$499 - May 30$749 - August 22

Resident Rate: vacationstogo.com now offers listings of discounts based on where you live, since cruise lines often offer resident rates on select sailings. On one sailing that I checked, the residents' rate was better than the past passenger discount. Senior discounts and travel agent discounts, upgrades, and perks can be applied along with the resident rates.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

$399 -- A new twist on the Pacific Northwest cruise, Holland America has teamed up with AAA Washington to offer a 4-night Wines of Washington cruise departing San Diego on April 26 and arriving in Vancouver on April 30. Light on port calls (Seattle only), the trip and its activities will be primarily onboard, featuring wine tastings, winemaker lunches and dinners, and optional themed discussions with Washington wine and food experts. Prices for the 4-night cruise start at only $399 per person, double occupancy. Bookings should be made through AAA (tel. 800/430-9001).

If you're looking at Amtrak trains as an option to get to the Seattle airport, or you just want to take a rail journey, here are some discount codes to consider:

The biggest percentage savings in the nation is probably on the Cascades trains through Oregon and Washington, up to Vancouver, BC. The transit-friendly city of Portland, OR sponsors code H750, which lets you buy one ticket and get one free if two people are riding together anywhere on that line through May 23 -- and yes, that includes trains (but not buses) to Canada.

Lonely travelers to the Northwest need not fear: Seattle has you covered. Use code V777 for a 25% discount on any Cascades train if you're traveling alone, through May 16th.

AAA members can also get 50% off a second ticket, or 25% off business class and sleeper seats on most trains except California and Northeast Corridor trains. Use code V644 and be prepared to produce your AAA membership card on demand. That code is for booking through Feb. 28 and travel through March 15.

$1399 -- Mini-Suite on Weeklong Mediterranean CruiseRoundtrip from Barcelona, May 4, 11, 18, 25Spend a week sailing the Mediterranean this May -- with Mini-Suite accommodations and $200 onboard credit per cabin. Travel on NCL's newest ship.Travelzoo Tip: Book this special using your American Express card and you'll receive a complimentary 5-night stay at a luxury resort in Mexico to use at a later date -- wow!

Travel Best Bets lists several "teaser" trips to Africa and Asia that visit several cities in 1 or 2 weeks with an English-speaking guide. All transfers, some meals, and some sightseeing is included. The ones I list here don't include airfare, but others on the website do.